By Jim Fenton

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- The Bridgewater State University softball team ended a six-game losing streak in dramatic fashion Tuesday afternoon.

After dropping the opener of a doubleheader, 6-4, to Framingham State University, the Bears rallied for three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to edge the Rams, 4-3, in walk-off fashion in the nightcap.

The games at Alumni Park opened the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference schedule for the Bears (8-10 overall) and the Rams (6-8), who have met in the conference tournament championship round the last four seasons.

BSU will be home again Saturday at 12:30 p.m. for a doubleheader against Salem State University while Framingham State is at the Mass. College of Liberal Arts for a Saturday afternoon twinbill.

Game Two: Bridgewater State 4, Framingham State 3

Victoria Becker (Abington, Mass.) produced the game-winning run with a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Makayla Ansell (Menifee, Conn.), who had reached on a fielder's choice.

Trailing, 3-1, entering the final inning, the BSU rally began with Madelyn Klingel (Windsor, Conn.) drawing a walk with Emily Marcotte (North Dighton, Mass.) singling to left.

Ansell was safe on a fielder's choice with Klingel scoring on the play and Sydney Schaefer (Swarthmore, Pa.) doubling home Marcotte to tie the game.

Becker then brought home Ansell with the sacrifice fly for the Bears' second home win of the season.

Klingel, the winning pitcher, kept the Rams hitless until there were two outs in the fourth inning.

She scattered five hits and struck out two for her first victory of the season.

BSU opened the scoring in the fourth inning when Becker doubled to center, went to third on an infield hit by Riley Fitzgerald (Swansea, Mass.) and scored on an RBI groundout by Angelina Lynch (Taunton, Mass.).

Framingham State scored its only runs in the fifth inning when Brooke Grassia (Danvers, Mass.) hit a three-run triple to right field with two outs.

The Bears' offense was led by Marcotte, who was 3-for-4, while Shelby Roode (Ashaway, R.I.) had two hits for the Rams.

Game One: Framingham State 6, Bridgewater State 4

Lynch was 2-for-3 with two RBI and a double and Katie Tobin (Chestnut Hill, Mass.) was 2-for-3 for BSU. Grassia and Talia Duca (Hudson, N.H.) had two hits each for the Rams.

Winning pitcher Ally Moran (Wilmington, Mass.) improved to 5-1, striking out five. Olivia Hargreaves (Weare, N.H.) took the loss, striking out four.

Framingham State opened a 3-0 lead in the second inning as it loaded the bases with a walk to Marina Cadena (Wareham, Mass.) and singles by Duca and Eliza Carignan (Epsom, N.H.) before an infield hit by Moran scored a run.

Makayla Rooney (Peabody, Mass.) then singled up the middle for two more runs.

BSU moved within 3-2 with runs in the second and third innings.

Lynch singled to right-center, scoring Becker, who had doubled in the second.

Marcotte reached on a bunt in the third and, after a groundout, scored on a Janet Jolly (Raynham, Mass.) double to left.

In the fifth, the Rams opened the lead to 6-2 with their second three-run inning of the game.

They received RBI doubles from Grassia and Kelsey McGuill (East Longmeadow, Mass.) and a run-scoring single by Duca.

BSU scored two in the sixth inning when Fitzgerald doubled and came home on a double by Lynch. Lily Gioiosa (Dartmouth, Mass.) added a pinch hit RBI single to right.